I know how challenging it can be to find recipes that fit a clean eating lifestyle and are still family friendly. Sometimes it’s so tempting to whip up that box of mac and cheese and call it good! One solution that is naturally nutritious and seems to always please the whole family is homemade soup.

This Hamburger Soup (aka Poor Man’s Soup because it is so easy on the budget) is made in theInstant Pot or slow cooker and couldn’t be easier! It is such a simple meal and yet my family absolutely loves it. The kids always go back for seconds! Full of classic beef and veggie soup flavors, it is perfect paired with a green salad or some gluten free corn bread (I love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix!)

This recipe is proof that Whole30 meals don’t have to break the budget. Only the most basic ingredients are required, all things that you likely already have on hand. Make this Hamburger Soup ahead onMeal Prep Sunday or during the week for a quick and easy dinner.

Instructions

Set your Instant Pot to Saute. Add oil and beef (or venison) and cook until browned. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Lock lid and set Instant Pot to Manual for 15 minutes. Quick or Natural Release both work great for this recipe.

For the Slow Cooker:

In a large skillet, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add browned beef and remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.

Challis

The Soup setting is a 30 minute cycle. I have done a shorter cycle with good results as well (20-25 minutes.) Use manual or natural release, whichever you prefer. I usually wait for natural release unless we are in a hurry to eat! Enjoy!

Brit

May 3, 2019 at 8:12 pm

Yum! Great basic recipe to have on hand. I added two small bags frozen mixed veggies in place of the fresh as its what I had on hand and added a few bay leaves as my grandmother taught me to always add them to soups . I also like to make this with leftover beef roast.

Jen

July 7, 2017 at 9:58 pm

Just made this for dinner in the instant pot and wow. We were so surprised that it was so flavorful. My 10 year old daughter loved it and my husband kept saying it’s so good! Yum! I didn’t change the recipe at all. Delicious!

I made this tonight for dinner in my instapot. It was a hit! My 2 and 5 year old ate it up (says a lot because they can be picky with veggies). And my husband liked it also! And it was nearly foolproof in my instapot. ( : Happy mama over here.

Ann

November 7, 2017 at 5:50 pm

I just made this for dinner, and it was a huge hit. I didn’t have ground beef or beef broth, but used ground turkey and chicken broth. I also didn’t have green beans so I used frozen corn instead. The kids had seconds. Thank you so much for the recipe. Took about 35 minutes from start to finish to make.

kristin

November 17, 2017 at 6:10 pm

really flavorful and easy! love my instant pot! thank you for the amazing and easy recipe! i added ro-tel tomatoes for extra kick. one thing I would add in the instructions for the instant pot is to dump the oil after browning the meat. my soup came out a bit oily. but still tasty!! thank you!

Bob Bagnall

Chris

January 7, 2018 at 7:11 pm

I used to make this on the stove. My kids and their friends (teenagers) would eat the whole pot on a Saturday. Some chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Warmed the house and the kids. First time trying in the instapot. Waiting for it to finish. Sometimes I would add a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilies just to change it up. Delicious, inexpensive and feeds a houseful.

Ashley

HAI

January 9, 2018 at 8:56 pm

I just made this and my husband and I are super impressed how flavorful this is! This will definitely become a regular for us.
After Browning the meat, my Instapot took about 20 minutes to get up to pressure, then another 30 minutes to cook. I used natural release, which took about 5 minutes. Thanks so much for this recipe!

Susan

Laura

January 19, 2018 at 9:06 am

This was a great recipe! It was also my first recipe using my IP. I had made this for our lunches for the week, it was ready AFTER we ate dinner and my husband ate a bowl, in addition to his dinner, as it was so good. I did forgot to get frozen green beans when shopping but I substituted frozen butter beans and they were a perfect substitution. This will definitely be kept on the list of IP recipes.

Maria – most canned tomatoes I find in the store do not have any added sugar. Be sure to check the ingredient list, this is where you will see if there’s any added sugars. Any sugar content listed on the nutrition label is most likely natural sugars from the tomatoes and is fine. Does that help??

Torey

February 15, 2018 at 8:19 pm

Great recipe. My sister made this first and told me I needed to try it. The one addition we have made is a splash of worcestershire sauce, garlic powder instead of minced and chicken broth instead of beef (since I never have beef on hand). I’ve made it 4 times in 2 weeks. 🙂

Amanda S

February 22, 2018 at 12:44 am

This has become a favorite in my home. We don’t need to make any changes to the recipe, we love it just as it’s written. Fast and easy, I usually keep all the ingredients on hand so I can make it quick in the Instant Pot. Thanks!

Minnesota Mama

February 23, 2018 at 11:52 pm

I tried your recipe tonight after my husband came home late and I needed something fast. We substituted 1/2 cup pearl barley and 1 cup extra water since I was out of potatoes. We will absolutely make this again!
Thanks for the recipe and other suggestions. 😊
P.S. A friend suggested that next time I am out of potatoes to put some frozen hasbrowns in as a substitute. Never thought of that!

Alexandria

March 20, 2018 at 12:05 pm

This is such a great recipe! I shared it with my sister and we both make it several times a month. It’s a family favorite! One small addition we make is a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and sometimes a bay leaf. It’s a delicious recipe, thank you!

Tricia

Wendy Perez

April 1, 2018 at 12:15 am

This recipe was added to my recipe binder. I made it for my husband and he loved it. I don’t own a instant pot or slow cooker, so I just cooked it on stove top in low heat for about 1hr and it turned out great. I added some diced avocado when serving. Thank you.

Courtney

April 26, 2018 at 9:49 am

First of all, I have to tell you that this soup is a family favorite! My picky kid even eats it which is a definite win. I love that it cooks up quickly on a weeknight, and I can toss in whatever veggies I have on hand.

Secondly, I love those soup bowls in your photos- where can I get them?

Debbie

September 30, 2018 at 7:37 pm

I’ve loved hamburger soup for as long as I can remember. I added to it just a bit, 1 tsp of fresh thyme and 3 tblsp of pot barley . The fresh thyme added that last little pinch of flavor and the barley added to the thickening just a tweak. Other than that, I will pass this recipe on to all my hamburger soup friends!

Betty

October 16, 2018 at 1:05 pm

My whole family LOVES this recipe. My hubby isn’t a fan of celery so ANY recipe that calls for celery, I sub in diced water chestnuts! We also try to keep things as low carb as we can so I sub out potatoes with cauliflower in soups with potatoes. Thank you for SUCH a flavorful soup!!!!

Thanks for this delicious recipe! The first in my IP. I followed your recipe except I substituted ground turkey for ground beef since I had it on hand. Very flavorful and hit the spot on this cold rainy day. Thumbs up all around!

Barbara Hansen

January 17, 2019 at 11:23 am

Have made this several times but the basic recipe needs some herbs and spices. I always have a few bay leaves in my soups and I like to add thyme to this and maybe a little cayenne or paprika. last time I also added zoodles.
Yesterday I made a variation with sweet potatoes /fresh mushroom and threw in spinach at the end. No tomato anything, just extra
beef broth and thickened a bit with arrowroot, so almost a stew. Added Tony Chachere’s for a little kick, hubby loved it!

Elisa

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About Me

Hi there! I'm Nikki, the writer, recipe developer, and photographer here at Tastythin. This is where I share my favorite clean eating recipes, Whole30/Paleo meal plans, and meal prep tips for feeding your family well with zero fuss. Thanks so much for stopping by!